 | Perseverance Begets Respect Alexander James - Wednesday, January 31, 2001
 Respect. What a beautiful word to add to the Baltimore Ravens vocabulary. The Ravens are our NFL Champions and did it with the stifling defense we talked so much about.
Baltimore held New York to just 150 total offensive yards, the third-lowest output ever in Super Bowl history behind the Vikings in Super Bowl IX and the Patriots in Super Bowl XX. Ray Lewis had five tackles, deflected four passes (one for an interception by Jamie Sharper), and was the first ever middle linebacker to receive the MVP award. This is the same Baltimore defense that allowed a record 165 points during the regular season, and followed it up with a remarkable 23 points allowed in four games in the postseason.
What happened to Kerry Collins? After a NFC record five touchdown passes against Minnesota, he was a paltry 15 for 39 with only 112 yards. And, oh yeah, he was baited into a Super Bowl record four interceptions. Duane Starks 49 yard interception for a touchdown was admittedly Kerry Collins' most disappointing pass.
Starks interception for a touchdown offered the only real action of an otherwise defensive battle. Twenty one points came on three touchdowns in 36 seconds in the third period: Starks interception followed by Ron Dixons' 97-yard kickoff return for New York, followed by Jermaine Lewis' 84 yard kickoff return for the Ravens.
The Giants thought they had something to cheer about with 10 minutes left in the first half when Armstead returned an interception for an apparent touchdown. That play was called back on a holding penalty. They also thought they had found some daylight when Dixon returned that kickoff for a touchdown. Jermaine Lewis took the air out of their tires by running to a touchdown of his own on an insuing kickoff return.
"If you face adversity head on, Dilfer said, "this is what comes out the other end"
One player, Brian McCrary, got a sack even though he had a broken hand.
"This is something they can never take away from us," said Ray Lewis, the defensive heart and soul and game MVP.
"In all phases-the heart, the will, the confidence, the work ethic-we were great", Dilfer said.
Your Super Bowl Champion….. Baltimore Ravens. | |